College Hill houses the famed Brown University and sits just east of the Providence River. The Ivy League campus brings a lot of life and residents to the city.  The red bricked buildings and grass quads set a lovely backdrop for the campus. On any nice, or even semi nice day, the quads are filled with students studying, music playing, and people hanging out. 

Just north of the campus, Thayer Street serves the student population with low key dining, shopping, coffee shops, and nightlight.  At the center of the street is the historic Avon Cinema. Open since 1938, the Avon specializes in independent, foreign, and art house films.  

While some chain food and shopping places have moved onto Thayer Street over the last decade, there are still some classic local gems like East Side Pocket, Spectrum India, and Berk’s Shoes & Clothing Store to enjoy. 

Thayer Street offers a wide selection of food options, most of which are counter service; so I usually take the food to go and walk over a few blocks to Prospect Terrace to have a picnic with a view. While it’s not a large park, Prospect Terrace sits on the edge of College Hill, so it boasts an impressive panoramic view of Providence’s DownCity. A statue honoring the founder of the state of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, gazes out over the city below. Fun fact: while Roger Williams was originally buried behind his house, his remains have been moved three times and are now housed within the statue. Also, there are no known images of Roger Williams, so this statue was rendered in his imagined likeness. 

Halfway down the hill that Brown University and Prospect Terrace sit upon are the historic brick sidewalks & buildings of Benefit Street. I love walking down this street on a nice fall or spring day to take in the historic houses along its narrow road. 

One of the historic buildings along Benefit Street is the Providence Athenaeum, where I used to spend a lot of time.  The steep steps leading to the doors create a dramatic entrance, and the two story space with floor to ceiling shelves of books spreading out from the center just past the entrance continues this feeling. Each aisle features a statue welcoming the visitors in and a window at the end bringing in natural light.  The second floor balcony features small desks for reading/studying; these are where I would spend a few hours alternating between working and people watching. The Athenaeum also hosts a variety of events – from author readings to pub quizzes – to check out. 

In front of the Athenaeum is a small fountain is built into the wall. This gothic revival fountain has been around since 1873, where it once served as one of the first public drinking fountains built in the United States. With its history comes the legend that all who drink from it are bound to always return to Providence.

Down the street from the Athenaeum is the RISD art museum.  The museum features art across the spectrum — from furniture design to ancient Greek art, from fashion design to Renaissance paintings. They also host events throughout the year and offer free admission Thursday evenings and Sundays. What I love about the RISD museum is that while it has a diverse collection of art, the museum isn’t overwhelming in size. They also continuously rotate their exhibitions often so every visit has something new to enjoy. 

Another historic building and art space is the Providence Art Club. Set on the hill between Benefit Street and North Main Street, the Providence Art Club creates a gathering space for artists and art lovers. They display the art of their members, offer art classes, and host opening receptions of the new works almost every month. The building itself is also architecturally interesting, and the club member areas, like the dining room and roof deck, offer cozy and inspiring spaces to its members.